The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-01-06
he QussTIoN OF coNpULsoRY TEN.

The QUESTION OF COMPULSORY TEN
PERANcE EDUCATION.
} We publish the following by reoues
of the ladies of the W. c. T. U. of thi
section, and state that petitions for sign
atures are now being circulated with
view of making strong appeal to Con
gress:
II we save the children to-day we shau hay
saved the nation tomorrow"
Department of scientific instruction
| Women's National Christian Temperance
Union-Ars, n. III. Hunt, Supt.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. Sth, 1886.
Dear sister Of the ". c. r U.:-
| To secure, through the schools. the
temperance education of every child in
the Republic is the object of this depart
ment, twenty-seven States and Terri
tories, containing nearly one-half the
population of the country are already
under compulsory temperance educa-
S.ls Slo1 saKss IEfs.r n many of the remaining
oause of their lack of public schoole.
We must have the school house and
the school in order to teach temperance,
or any thing else. States that were the
seat of the late civil war and impoverish-
ed by it, are now doing for education, in
proportion to their taxable property,
what they can, and yet their public
schools are lamentably inadequate, to
ensure that their rising generation shall
be taught, even to read or write.
The existence of Republican form of
government is dependent upon the intel.
ligence and virtue of its people. Accord
ing to the last census, one voter in every
FIVE in our land cannot write his own
name; one in every six cannot read his
ballot. That these should vote for the
saloon and its kindred degradations,
naturally follows
Therefore, the subjoined resolution,
passed by the National w. c. T. U at
their late convention in Minneapolis,
Mimi, was directly in the temperance
work, i. e.:
WHEREAS, The Scientific Temper
ance Education of the youth and child
rem of this country, through the schools.
cannot be ensured without an establish
ed system of free public instruction, and
such instruction in many portions of our
country is bIief and inadequate or wholly
lacking, for want of means of support,
therefore;
ResoEred, That We approve what is
known as the school bill now pending in
Congress, providing for aid from the
National Treasury, for public instruc-
ton, to,be disbursed on the basis ofilliter-
acy, and we will heartily favor its pass
age"
The next great step, essential to the
work of the department and the ultimate
triumph of the temperance cause and
the preservation of our institutions, is
the passage, by Congress, ofthis measure.
1t has passed the Senate and is now
before the House. The voice of the
sovereign people, in petitions gathered
up by our w. c. T. Unions, through all
the land, carried the Temperance E1uca-
ton Bill through Congress last winter.
With this we send you petitions, to
circulate, that will be presented to Con-
gress, asking for money from our over.
AaJEipp EsaA:~1IJtS5Sz T7SsTTE5
6ur 6T1reS cG<saar sle +, as provided for in the
School Bill.
We are sure you will rejoice to help
in this far-reaching work for the sake of
the children and the Nation soon to be
controlled by them.
I have responded to the appeals com.
ing from the leaders of education, the
friends of humanity and temperance, to
take charge of this bill and endeavor to
get it through this short session of Con-
gress; l am therefore to be in Washington
for this work, and will take your peti.
tions and see that they are sent to the
Representative of your Congressional
District.
Will you be sure to return them not
later than January 10th, 1887, and as
much sooner as possible, the sooner they
come to US, the better will be the chances
Of the Bill.
Yours for the Land We love and would
save, MARY II. Hunt,
Supt. Department Scientific, Temper.
ance instruction, National W. c. I. q.